The Perfect Gift
by Graysen
Summary: Set right after The Gift My take on season 6 of Buffy. SpikeBuffy Spuffy
1. Spike's POV

Title: _The Perfect Gift_  
Part: 1 (PG this part)  
Spoilers: up to "The Gift." This is set right after "The Gift."  
Summary: future fic. My take on how season six should have gone.  
Archive: My site. Trish's. All others please ask first please.  
Feedback: Yes, please.   
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters belong to Joss Whedon, & Mutant Enemy. I'm just borrowing them for my fic.  
Date: 5/28/01 Revised: 7/6/01

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_**The Perfect Gift**_  
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When Spike's sobs finally subsided somewhat, he crept closer to Buffy and smoothed her hair away from her brow. As he placed a gentle kiss on her brow he whispered, "Don't worry, I'll be strong and I'll take care of her."

With a final parting glance, he turned away and screamed, "ASHEN! ASHEN!"

In answer to his summoning, a female dressed in blue and silver lined garments appeared. At first glance one would assume that she was human, but a second closer look was more revealing to her non-humaniod origins. She was tall and slim, her ice white hair was clipped at the base of her neck & again at her waist it came to its silky end well past her knees. She had a slightly elfish look to her, silver eyes and a healthy golden skin tone.  
Ashen arched her brow arrogantly as she snapped, "Yes? What is it you desire, lower being?"  
Spike looked her dead in the eye as he replied, "I want to see them. I'm calling in my debt."  
"Very well," Ashen replied as she gestured & they both disappear.

Spike and Ashen appear in an antechamber.

"Did you bring a gift?" Ashen asked Spike. Spike nodded in reply.

Ashen approached a birdbath sized bowl in front of a stone archway. The archway is carved into the cave wall and the space between the arches is smooth, solid stone. Ashen approached the archway and waved her hand in front of it and what once was solid stone is now an arched doorway of solid light. She gestured for Spike to follow her as she stepped through the blinding light.

Once through the light, Spike found himself facing a golden trio. Two females and a male with piercing violet eyes dressed in black robes.

"Come before us," the Elders reply in unison.

"What have you brought us?" One of the females asked.

Ashen stayed in the background as Spike moved forward and took a small bag from his pocket. He opened the bag and removed a gold pocket watch. He opened the pocket watch and looked at the picture inside, "I brought you the last thing my father gave me before he died."

One of the female Elders held out her hand and the pocket watch flew into it, "I like memories, it's like time. There's so little and yet so much of it."

The male gestured to Spike, "What have you come for?"

"I have come for the Slayer. Buffy Summers."

"We know off her. What about her?" A female elder replied.

"I am here to beg for her life," Spike said.

"Lower being, if it has happened, it was meant to be. It is not our place to grant life or death," an elder replied.

"In exchange for her life I ask you to take my un-life. The world has a much more need of a Slayer than just another soulless vampire," Spike continued.

"What is done cannot be undone," the male protested sadly.

"Yet one life for another can be done," the female intervened.

The other female looked as if she's listening to something before interjecting, "The Auguries say yes."

The male elder looked over at Ashen and said, "Escort her here."

Ashen nodded and disappeared.

Ashen appeared in a clearing. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and the birds were chirping. In the distance the roar of a mighty river could be heard. Simply put it was paradise.

There was a couple walking hand in hand who were oblivious to it all.

Under a nearby tree in the shade a blonde young woman was having a picnic with a slightly older blonde woman.

Ashen walked over to the tree.

"Buffy?"

The blonde young woman looked up at her and smiled, "Yes?"

"The Elders request your presence at once."

Buffy nodded and leaned over to kiss her Mom on the cheek, "I'll be right back, Mommy. I love you."

Ashen took Buffy's hand and they disappeared.

They appeared next to Spike in the antechamber.

"Spike!" Buffy exclaimed as she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike held her close as he kissed the top of her head. "Oh Buffy," he sighed, "I kept my promise to you. I'm going to take good care of the Nibblet. I'm going to give her the one thing she needs the most...you."

_end part one._


	2. Buffy's POV

Title: The Perfect Gift  
Part: 2 (PG)  
Spoilers: up to "The Gift."  
Summary: set right after "The Gift". My take on season six.  
Feedback: Yes, please  
Disclaimers: Buffy the Vampire Slayer characters belong to Joss Whedon, & Mutant Enemy. I'm just borrowing them for my fic.  
Date: 7/5/01

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_**The Perfect Gift**  
Part II_  
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As Buffy swan dived off the tower, she found herself looking for the one person that she wanted to see as she faced her death. Her gaze swept past Anya, Tara, Xander, Giles & even Willow. Instead she found and met Spike's eyes. His eyes were full of infinite sadness & could have been, yet conveyed so much love towards her. It simply was heartbreaking. Buffy tried to convey her true feelings towards him.

Its true what they say, your life does flash before your eyes just before you die Buffy thought an instant before she entered the swirling vortex.

Buffy appeared in a clearing, dressed in white. It was a beautiful sunny day, not a cloud in the sky and the birds were chirping. In the distance the roar of a mighty river could be heard. It gave off an aura full of a calming peace, simply put it was paradise. Buffy turned when she heard someone calling out to her. There in the distance a blonde woman also dressed in white was walking towards her.

"Mom? Mommy?" Buffy cried as she ran towards her with tears streaming down her face. She threw her arms around her as she cried all over her Mom's shoulder.

"Shh. Its ok, Buffy. I'm so proud of you."

"Oh Mom, I missed you so much."

Joyce took Buffy's hand and led her over to a tree, "Oh, Buffy, I've missed you, too. How's Dawn? Spike? Mr. Giles? Your friends? And you can tell me everything that has happened since I left, ok?"

"Well, there was this girl robot and" could be heard by a woman walking towards a blonde man.

Buffy was in middle a funny story about Xander, tampons, and a late night run to the store, when a young woman walked over to her.

"Slayer."

"Yes," Buffy replied taking in woman's white silk robe and oriental features.

"Chosen one, I bring a message to you. You have learned that love is pain. And that a Slayer must forge her strength from pain. You must find your strength again. Love will bring you to your gift."

A confused look crossed Buffy's face as she replied, "Will bring? I don't understand."

"You are destruction...Absolute...Not alone. You think you know, what's to come. What you are...You haven't even begun," with those cryptic words the woman disappeared.

"Who was that?" Joyce asked.

"A Slayer, one of the first." Buffy whispered her eyes wide.

Many stories later, a tall and slim woman dressed in blue and silver lined garments appeared suddenly nearby. She walked over to Buffy and Joyce.

"Buffy?"

Buffy looked up smiling expectantly and replied, "Yes?"

The silver eyed woman answered, "The Elders request your presence at once."

Buffy nodded and leaned over to kiss her Mom on the cheek, "I'll be right back, Mommy. I love you."

The strange woman took Buffy's hand and they disappeared in a silver flash. They appeared in the antechamber.

Buffy looked around and saw Spike standing next to her. She cried, "Spike," as she threw her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek.

Spike hugged her close as he kissed the top of her head. "Oh Buffy," he sighed, "I kept my promise to you. I'm going to take good care of the Nibblet. I'm going to give her the one thing she needs the most...you."

Buffy pulled back slightly as she blinked at him and said, "What?"

_end part two._


End file.
